Ruby Walsh benefits from big freeze to claim plum ride on Zarkandar at Newbury in Saturday

Ruby Walsh has come in for the plum ride on Zarkandar in Saturday’s Betfair
Hurdle after a change to the Newbury card which allows the rider to defer a
suspension that originally ruled him out of action at the weekend.

Happy man: Ruby Walsh has come in for the ride on Zarkandar on SaturdayPhoto: PA

By Telegraph Staff and agencies

5:30PM GMT 06 Feb 2012

Paul Nicholls’ No 1 jockey picked up a three-day ban at Cheltenham last month and as there was originally no Grade One race on the ‘Betfair Super Saturday’ card, he was set to be on the sidelines.

However, the British Horseracing Authority announced that the Grade One Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase would be transferred from last Saturday’s abandoned Sandown card to this weekend’s fixture at Newbury and BHA rules state that Walsh can defer his ban on days where Grade One races are run.

Champion trainer Nicholls said on his Twitter account: “After discussing with owners Ruby now switches to Zarkandar and Daryl Jacob rides Empire Levant.”

Walsh was thrilled with the news, taking to Twitter and saying: “Looking like I have got a get out of jail card for Saturday! Grade 1 Scilly Isles is my ticket to at least take part. Happy days.”

Nicholls concedes, though, that Zarkandar has not been trained with Saturday’s valuable handicap as his highest priority - although he could still easily turn out to be good enough to win.

Last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner is not far off being second favourite for the Champion Hurdle itself and the first Tuesday of the Cheltenham Festival is when Nicholls wants him at his peak.

Just a five-year-old, Zarkandar won all three starts as a juvenile in Britain, taking the Triumph on the second of those and following up at Aintree but will only be appearing in the second half of the season again, as he has not raced in public since Liverpool.

“Zarkandar could well go and win and looks well-handicapped but whatever happens, win, lose or draw, there will be a lot to come and he has been trained with the Champion Hurdle in mind,” said Nicholls.

“He’s a hell of a horse to know if he has improved. At home he’s workmanlike but on the track he’s different. He’s been working OK but is obviously better on the track.

“He’s had a racecourse gallop and has done plenty but I’m in the dark as much as anyone. He could win and be a good thing, unless he needs the run more than we thought, but he’s done enough work. Saturday will tell us a lot more.”

Newbury clerk of the course Richard Osgood said the ground was currently good to soft, soft in places.

“We’ve kept a whole lot of fresh ground for the meeting,” he said.

“With the rain and snow, we had around 11 millimetres in the last week and the fleeces covering the track absorb the moisture so it steadily drips through. We will leave the covers on until Saturday.”

Tuesday’s meetings at Sedgefield and Market Rasen were abandoned on Monday, as was Lingfield’s card for Wednesday. Ludlow and Carlisle inspect at 8am on Tuesday to decide the fate of their Wednesday meetings.